Conventional printers of today operate with automatic feed, where the print head moves over the printout surface in a predetermined pattern. This is a drawback, since the print head has to sweep over the entire printout surface even if it is to be active only in relatively small areas, such as for example, the lower right-hand corner of the printout.
A further drawback with conventional printers is their great size, which means that they are more or less stationary.